System and method for tracking and scoring animal health and meat quality

ABSTRACT

A system and method for objectively grading a cut of meat is provided. The system generally comprises an animal having at least one sensor associated therewith, a processor operably connected to the at least one sensor, a QR device operably connected to the processor and configured to read QR codes applied to a cut of meat, a plurality of computing entities operably connected to the processor via a network, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon. The system may collect lifetime data of an animal until fabrication. The system may then track and collect data about the carcass of the animal throughout the fabrication process to the point of sale. Based on this data, the system may create a quality score that a user may view prior to purchasing a cut of meat using an application of their computing device.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The subject matter of the present disclosure refers generally to asystem and method for creating a quality score for a cut of meat basedupon objective data measuring the health and well-being of the animal.

BACKGROUND

Determining the quality of a cut of meat can be very difficult. This istruer for certain breeds of animals than others largely because thereoften are no guidelines to follow when grading a cut of meat. Forinstance, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has astrict set of guidelines for grading beef, but there are currently nouniversally applied USDA guidelines for similarly grading pork. Thispresents a problem because different breeds of a particular animal mayproduce a different quality of meat from another breed. For instance, aBerkshire pig has a noted clean flavor to its meat, whereas a Landracepig is known more for the size of its loins. This means that a recipemight be better suited for one particular breed of pig over another. Thesame might be said for chickens, sheep, goat, etc. However, it is noteasy for consumers to access this information when evaluating cuts ofmeat at the point of purchase. Additionally, no currently establishedquality certification program incorporates indices of health andwellness into their measures of meat quality.

Further complicating the problem of grading the quality of cuts of meatis the fact that stress experienced during lairage can alter theendocrinology and metabolism of an animal in ways that detrimentallyimpact the natural cellular processes involved in the conversation ofmuscle to meat. For instance, pigs are very susceptible to stress, andthe quality of the meat can suffer if pigs transported to a fabricationfacility are not given a reasonable amount of time to destress. Forinstance, mixing animals provides a significant social stress thatresults in fighting which can induce injury and substantial exercise.For instance, during transport and time within the holding pen, pigstypically do not have access to feed and may have limited access towater. Thus, the stress axis evoked and the pigs experience metabolicstress as well (depletion of glycogen stores which impacts the rate ofpH decline post-harvest, a factor that directly decreases pork quality(color, water holding capacity etc.). Currently there is no universallyavailable system to monitor stress and wellness during this narrow,critical window in the pork supply chain that significantly impactsquality of a pork cut at the point of purchase.

The current method of destressing animals that have been shipped to afabrication facility is to place the pigs in pens and rest them for acertain amount of time. The theory is that this will allow the animals'stress levels to dissipate enough to prevent any degradation to thequality of the meat once the fabrication process begins. However, thismethod is very unscientific. What might be an appropriate amount of timefor one group of animals may not be an appropriate amount of time foranother group. Further, not all conditions at these fabricationfacilities are the same. For instance, one fabrication facility may haveholding pens that hold only fifty pigs whereas another may have aholding pen that holds more than one thousand. Even in situations wherefacilities are able to mostly eliminate social stresses, holding pigswithout food or water is a metabolic stress that can alter the qualityof the meat. Additionally, seasonality can dramatically impact theeffect of lairage (i.e. heat stress or cold stress), which onlyincreases the difficulty in predicting the appropriate time to processan animal.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a system and method forcreating a quality score for a cut of meat based upon objective datameasuring the health and well-being of the animal.

SUMMARY

A system and method for objectively grading a cut of meat that allowsestablishment of quality standards that form the basis of novelcertified/premium branding programs using data collected over thelifetime of the animal and during the fabrication process is provided.The system generally comprises an animal having at least one sensorassociated therewith, a processor operably connected to the at least onesensor, a Quick Response (QR) device operably connected to the processorand configured to read QR codes applied to a cut of meat, a plurality ofcomputing entities operably connected to the processor via a network,and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions storedthereon. In one preferred embodiment, the system may store various typesof information within data blocks of a distributed ledger created by theplurality of computing entities. One preferred embodiment of the systemmay comprise a plurality of databases operably connected to theprocessor. The plurality of databases may be configured to storelifetime data and QR data within animal profiles and QR profiles,respectively. The database may also be configured to store qualityscores created via algorithms using the lifetime data and QR data of theanimal.

To populate the plurality of computing entities, the system may utilizedata obtained from the at least one sensor or the QR reader. In anotherembodiment, the system may populate the plurality of computing entitiesusing a user interface. In a preferred embodiment, the user interface isoperably connected to the plurality of computing entities in a way suchthat information may be transferred from user interface to the pluralityof computing entities, or vice versa. The plurality of computingentities is configured to receive lifetime data and QR data andsubsequently store that data within a data block of a ledger sharedbetween each computing entity of the plurality of computing entities. Ina preferred embodiment, a data block may be obtained from the pluralityof computing entities by a mobile computing device operably connected tothe plurality of computing entities. In some instances, the mobilecomputing device may be operably connected to the plurality of computingentities via one or more servers interconnected between the mobilecomputing device and plurality of computing entities. Ledger data may becommunicated between each computing entity of the plurality of computingentities in real-time or at a slower rate. In a preferred embodiment,the ledger data is updated at least every ten minutes, but may beadjusted by the user based on individual farm animal needs.

The plurality of computing entities preferably connects to one anothervia a network to create a distributed ledger. The distributed ledger maybe continuously updated using consensus mechanisms and concurrencycontrol to ensure consistency of the ledger throughout the network. Theledger preferably comprises data pertaining to physiological parametersinforming the health and well-being of the individual animal from whicha cut of meat was derived. Information relating to a cut of meat isbroken into groups of data called data blocks. The first data blockcreated by the system for an animal is a genesis data block. Theinformation within the genesis data block may be hardcoded to the systemand new information may only be added to a subsequent data block,meaning the genesis data block will always represent the start of aparticular chain of data blocks.

The system may couple lifetime data and QR data to a data block via anoperation. Each time an operation occurs, the system may create a newdata block containing the information of both the data block and thelifetime data or QR data. To facilitate the creation of a new datablock, the system may provide the plurality of computing entities withlifetime data and/or data and a serial number associated with aparticular animal. Using the serial number, the plurality of computingentities may determine the last known data block of a chain of datablocks associated with the serial number and combine the data block withthe lifetime data and/or QR data to create a new data block. A newunique serial number may then be generated for the new data block. Oncea new data block is created, the plurality of computing entities maydetermine the authenticity of the new data block. A new data block willonly be authenticated by the plurality of computing entities if it isthe last data block in the longest chain of data blocks starting fromthe genesis data block. The plurality of computing entities may confirmthe position of a data block within ledger by using the serial number,time stamp, or any other method of identification suitable foridentifying the order of a data block within the ledger. Should the newdata block be determined to be authentic, the plurality of computingentities may write the new data block into the ledger.

The foregoing summary has outlined some features of the system andmethod of the present disclosure so that those skilled in the pertinentart may better understand the detailed description that follows.Additional features that form the subject of the claims will bedescribed hereinafter. Those skilled in the pertinent art shouldappreciate that they can readily utilize these features for designing ormodifying other structures for carrying out the same purpose of thesystem and method disclosed herein. Those skilled in the pertinent artshould also realize that such equivalent designs or modifications do notdepart from the scope of the system and method of the presentdisclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentdisclosure will become better understood with regard to the followingdescription, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example environment in which techniquesdescribed herein may be implemented.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an example environment in which techniquesdescribed herein may be implemented.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an example environment in which techniquesdescribed herein may be implemented.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of an example environment in which techniquesdescribed herein may be implemented.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of an example environment in which techniquesdescribed herein may be implemented.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the manner in which individual accessto data may be granted or limited based on user or system roles.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating certain method steps of a methodembodying features consistent with the principles of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating certain method steps of a methodembodying features consistent with the principles of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating certain method steps of a methodembodying features consistent with the principles of the presentdisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the Summary above and in this Detailed Description, and the claimsbelow, and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particularfeatures, including method steps, of the invention. It is to beunderstood that the disclosure of the invention in this specificationincludes all possible combinations of such particular features. Forinstance, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of aparticular aspect or embodiment of the invention, or a particular claim,that feature can also be used, to the extent possible, in combinationwith/or in the context of other particular aspects of the embodiments ofthe invention, and in the invention generally.

The term “comprises” and grammatical equivalents thereof are used hereinto mean that other components, steps, etc. are optionally present. Forinstance, a system “comprising” components A, B, and C can contain onlycomponents A, B, and C, or can contain not only components A, B, and C,but also one or more other components. The term “stress” and grammaticalequivalents thereof are used herein to mean an environmental/socialstimulus that evokes an unconscious physiological response that altersthe behavior/metabolism of an animal or group of animals. The term“wellness” and grammatical equivalents thereof are used herein to meanthe fitness of an animal or group of animals based upon physiologicalparameters informing health and well-being. The term “fabrication” andgrammatical equivalents thereof are used herein to mean the harvestingand processing of animals to produce cuts of meat and other byproducts.The term “cut of meat” and grammatical equivalents thereof are usedherein to mean the various products that result from the fabrication ofan animal.

Where reference is made herein to a method comprising two or moredefined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order orsimultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility), andthe method can include one or more other steps which are carried outbefore any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, orafter all the defined steps (except where the context excludes thatpossibility).

As will be evident from the disclosure provided below, the presentinvention satisfies the need for a system and method capable of creatinga quality score for a cut of meat based on data measuring the wellnessof the animal.

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary environment 100 of the system 400 consistingof clients 105 connected to a server 110 and/or database 115 via anetwork 150. Clients 105 are devices of users 405 that may be used toaccess servers 110 and/or databases 115 through a network 150. A network150 may comprise of one or more networks of any kind, including, but notlimited to, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN),metropolitan area networks (MAN), a telephone network, such as thePublic Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), an intranet, the Internet, amemory device, another type of network, or a combination of networks. Ina preferred embodiment, computing entities 200 may act as clients 105for a user 405. For instance, a client 105 may include a personalcomputer, a wireless telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), alaptop, a smart phone, a tablet computer, or another type of computationor communication device. Servers 110 may include devices that access,fetch, aggregate, process, search, provide, and/or maintain documents.Although FIG. 1 depicts a preferred embodiment of an environment 100 forthe system 400, in other implementations, the environment 100 maycontain fewer components, different components, differently arrangedcomponents, and/or additional components than those depicted in FIG. 1.Alternatively, or additionally, one or more components of theenvironment 100 may perform one or more other tasks described as beingperformed by one or more other components of the environment 100.

As depicted in FIG. 1, one embodiment of the system 400 may comprise aserver 110. Although shown as a single server 110 in FIG. 1, a server110 may, in some implementations, be implemented as multiple devicesinterlinked together via the network 150, wherein the devices may bedistributed over a large geographic area and perform different functionsor similar functions. For instance, two or more servers 110 may beimplemented to work as a single server 110 performing the same tasks.Alternatively, one server 110 may perform the functions of multipleservers 110. For instance, a single server 110 may perform the tasks ofa web server and an indexing server 110. Additionally, it is understoodthat multiple servers 110 may be used to operably connect the processor220 to the database 115 and/or other content repositories. The processor220 may be operably connected to the server 110 via wired or wirelessconnection. Types of servers 110 that may be used by the system 400include, but are not limited to, search servers, document indexingservers, and web servers, or any combination thereof.

Search servers may include one or more computing entities 200 designedto implement a search engine, such as a documents/records search engine,general webpage search engine, etc. Search servers may, for example,include one or more web servers designed to receive search queriesand/or inputs from users 405, search one or more databases 115 inresponse to the search queries and/or inputs, and provide documents orinformation, relevant to the search queries and/or inputs, to users 405.In some implementations, search servers may include a web search serverthat may provide webpages to users 405, wherein a provided webpage mayinclude a reference to a web server at which the desired informationand/or links are located. The references to the web server at which thedesired information is located may be included in a frame and/or textbox, or as a link to the desired information/document. Document indexingservers may include one or more devices designed to index documentsavailable through networks 150. Document indexing servers may accessother servers 110, such as web servers that host content, to index thecontent. In some implementations, document indexing servers may indexdocuments/records stored by other servers 110 connected to the network150. Document indexing servers may, for example, store and indexcontent, information, and documents relating to user accounts anduser-generated content. Web servers may include servers 110 that providewebpages to clients 105. For instance, the webpages may be HTML-basedwebpages. A web server may host one or more websites. As used herein, awebsite may refer to a collection of related webpages. Frequently, awebsite may be associated with a single domain name, although somewebsites may potentially encompass more than one domain name. Theconcepts described herein may be applied on a per-website basis.Alternatively, in some implementations, the concepts described hereinmay be applied on a per-webpage basis.

As used herein, a database 115 refers to a set of related data and theway it is organized. Access to this data is usually provided by adatabase management system (DBMS) consisting of an integrated set ofcomputer software that allows users 405 to interact with one or moredatabases 115 and provides access to all of the data contained in thedatabase 115. The DBMS provides various functions that allow entry,storage and retrieval of large quantities of information and providesways to manage how that information is organized. Because of the closerelationship between the database 115 and the DBMS, as used herein, theterm database 115 refers to both a database 115 and DBMS.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram of a client 105, server 110, and/or ordatabase 115 (hereinafter collectively referred to as “computing entity200”), which may correspond to one or more of the clients 105, servers110, and databases 115 according to an implementation consistent withthe principles of the invention as described herein. The computingentity 200 may comprise a bus 210, a processor 220, memory 304, astorage device 250, a peripheral device 270, and a communicationinterface 280. The bus 210 may be defined as one or more conductors thatpermit communication among the components of the computing entity 200.The processor 220 may be defined as a logic circuitry that responds toand processes the basic instructions that drive the computing entity200. Memory 304 may be defined as the integrated circuitry that storesinformation for immediate use in a computing entity 200. A peripheraldevice 270 may be defined as any hardware used by a user 405 and/or thecomputing entity 200 to facilitate communication between the two. Astorage device 250 may be defined as a device used to provide massstorage to a computing entity 200. A communication interface 280 may bedefined as any transceiver-like device that enables the computing entity200 to communicate with other devices and/or computing entities 200.

The bus 210 may comprise a high-speed interface 308 and/or a low-speedinterface 312 that connects the various components together in a waysuch they may communicate with one another. A high-speed interface 308manages bandwidth-intensive operations for computing device 300, while alow-speed interface 312 manages lower bandwidth-intensive operations. Insome preferred embodiments, the high-speed interface 308 of a bus 210may be coupled to the memory 304, display 316, and to high-speedexpansion ports 310, which may accept various expansion cards such as agraphics processing unit (GPU). In other preferred embodiments, thelow-speed interface 312 of a bus 210 may be coupled to a storage device250 and low-speed expansion ports 314. The low-speed expansion ports 314may include various communication ports, such as USB, Bluetooth,Ethernet, wireless Ethernet, Long Range (LoRa), Narrow Band Internet ofThings (NB-IoT), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), etc.Additionally, the low-speed expansion ports 314 may be coupled to one ormore peripheral devices 270, such as a keyboard, pointing device,scanner, and/or a networking device, wherein the low-speed expansionports 314 facilitate the transfer of input data from the peripheraldevices 270 to the processor 220 via the low-speed interface 312.

The processor 220 may comprise any type of conventional processor ormicroprocessor that interprets and executes computer readableinstructions. The processor 220 is configured to perform the operationsdisclosed herein based on instructions stored within the system 400. Theprocessor 220 may process instructions for execution within thecomputing entity 200, including instructions stored in memory 304 or ona storage device 250, to display graphical information for a graphicaluser interface (GUI) on an external peripheral device 270, such as adisplay 316. The processor 220 may provide for coordination of the othercomponents of a computing entity 200, such as control of user interfaces411, applications run by a computing entity 200, and wirelesscommunication by a communication device of the computing entity 200. Theprocessor 220 may be any processor or microprocessor suitable forexecuting instructions. In some embodiments, the processor 220 may havea memory device therein or coupled thereto suitable for storing thedata, content, or other information or material disclosed herein. Insome instances, the processor 220 may be a component of a largercomputing entity 200. A computing entity 200 that may house theprocessor 220 therein may include, but are not limited to, laptops,desktops, workstations, personal digital assistants, servers,mainframes, cellular telephones, tablet computers, or any other similardevice. Accordingly, the inventive subject matter disclosed herein, infull or in part, may be implemented or utilized in devices including,but are not limited to, laptops, desktops, workstations, personaldigital assistants, servers, mainframes, cellular telephones, tabletcomputers, or any other similar device.

Memory 304 stores information within computing device 300. In somepreferred embodiments, memory 304 may include one or more volatilememory units. In another preferred embodiment, memory 304 may includeone or more non-volatile memory units. Memory 304 may also includeanother form of computer-readable medium, such as a magnetic or opticaldisk. For instance, a portion of a magnetic hard drive may bepartitioned as a dynamic scratch space to allow for temporary storage ofinformation that may be used by the processor 220 when faster types ofmemory, such as random-access memory (RAM), are in high demand. Acomputer-readable medium may refer to a non-transitory computer-readablememory device. A memory device may refer to storage space within asingle storage device 250 or spread across multiple storage devices 250.The memory 304 may comprise main memory 230 and/or read only memory(ROM) 240. In a preferred embodiment, the main memory 230 may compriseRAM or another type of dynamic storage device 250 that storesinformation and instructions for execution by the processor 220. ROM 240may comprise a conventional ROM device or another type of static storagedevice 250 that stores static information and instructions for use byprocessor 220. The storage device 250 may comprise a magnetic and/oroptical recording medium and its corresponding drive.

As mentioned earlier, a peripheral device 270 is a device thatfacilitates communication between a user 405 and the processor 220. Theperipheral device 270 may include, but is not limited to, an inputdevice and/or an output device. As used herein, an input device may bedefined as a device that allows a user 405 to input data andinstructions that is then converted into a pattern of electrical signalsin binary code that are comprehensible to a computing entity 200. Aninput device of the peripheral device 270 may include one or moreconventional devices that permit a user 405 to input information intothe computing entity 200, such as a scanner, phone, camera, scanningdevice, keyboard, a mouse, a pen, voice recognition and/or biometricmechanisms, etc. As used herein, an output device may be defined as adevice that translates the electronic signals received from a computingentity 200 into a form intelligible to the user 405. An output device ofthe peripheral device 270 may include one or more conventional devicesthat output information to a user 405, including a display 316, aprinter, a speaker, an alarm, a projector, etc. Additionally, storagedevices 250, such as CD-ROM drives, and other computing entities 200 mayact as a peripheral device 270 that may act independently from theoperably connected computing entity 200. For instance, a fitness trackermay transfer data to a smartphone, wherein the smartphone may use thatdata in a manner separate from the fitness tracker.

The storage device 250 is capable of providing the computing entity 200mass storage. In some embodiments, the storage device 250 may comprise acomputer-readable medium such as the memory 304, storage device 250, ormemory 304 on the processor 220. A computer-readable medium may bedefined as one or more physical or logical memory devices and/or carrierwaves. Devices that may act as a computer readable medium include, butare not limited to, a hard disk device, optical disk device, tapedevice, flash memory or other similar solid-state memory device, or anarray of devices, including devices in a storage area network or otherconfigurations. Examples of computer-readable mediums include, but arenot limited to, magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, andmagnetic tape; optical media such as CD ROM discs and DVDs;magneto-optical media such as optical discs; and hardware devices thatare specially configured to store and perform programming instructions,such as ROM 240, RAM, flash memory, and the like.

In an embodiment, a computer program may be tangibly embodied in thestorage device 250. The computer program may contain instructions that,when executed by the processor 220, performs one or more steps thatcomprise a method, such as those methods described herein. Theinstructions within a computer program may be carried to the processor220 via the bus 210. Alternatively, the computer program may be carriedto a computer-readable medium, wherein the information may then beaccessed from the computer-readable medium by the processor 220 via thebus 210 as needed. In a preferred embodiment, the software instructionsmay be read into memory 304 from another computer-readable medium, suchas data storage device 250, or from another device via the communicationinterface 280. Alternatively, hardwired circuitry may be used in placeof or in combination with software instructions to implement processesconsistent with the principles as described herein. Thus,implementations consistent with the invention as described herein arenot limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry andsoftware.

FIG. 3 depicts exemplary computing entities 200 in the form of acomputing device 300 and mobile computing device 350, which may be usedto carry out the various embodiments of the invention as describedherein. A computing device 300 is intended to represent various forms ofdigital computers, such as laptops, desktops, workstations, servers,databases, mainframes, and other appropriate computers. A mobilecomputing device 350 is intended to represent various forms of mobiledevices, such as scanners, scanning devices, personal digitalassistants, cellular telephones, smart phones, tablet computers, andother similar devices. The various components depicted in FIG. 3, aswell as their connections, relationships, and functions are meant to beexamples only, and are not meant to limit the implementations of theinvention as described herein. The computing device 300 may beimplemented in a number of different forms, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.For instance, a computing device 300 may be implemented as a server 110or in a group of servers 110. Computing devices 300 may also beimplemented as part of a rack server system. In addition, a computingdevice 300 may be implemented as a personal computer, such as a desktopcomputer or laptop computer. Alternatively, components from a computingdevice 300 may be combined with other components in a mobile device,thus creating a mobile computing device 350. Each mobile computingdevice 350 may contain one or more computing devices 300 and mobiledevices, and an entire system may be made up of multiple computingdevices 300 and mobile devices communicating with each other as depictedby the mobile computing device 350 in FIG. 3. The computing entities 200consistent with the principles of the invention as disclosed herein mayperform certain receiving, communicating, generating, output providing,correlating, and storing operations as needed to perform the variousmethods as described in greater detail below.

In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, a computing device 300 may includea processor 220, memory 304 a storage device 250, high-speed expansionports 310, low-speed expansion ports 314, and bus 210 operablyconnecting the processor 220, memory 304, storage device 250, high-speedexpansion ports 310, and low-speed expansion ports 314. In one preferredembodiment, the bus 210 may comprise a high-speed interface 308connecting the processor 220 to the memory 304 and high-speed expansionports 310 as well as a low-speed interface 312 connecting to thelow-speed expansion ports 314 and the storage device 250. Because eachof the components are interconnected using the bus 210, they may bemounted on a common motherboard as depicted in FIG. 3 or in othermanners as appropriate. The processor 220 may process instructions forexecution within the computing device 300, including instructions storedin memory 304 or on the storage device 250. Processing theseinstructions may cause the computing device 300 to display graphicalinformation for a GUI on an output device, such as a display 316 coupledto the high-speed interface 308. In other implementations, multipleprocessors and/or multiple buses may be used, as appropriate, along withmultiple memory units and/or multiple types of memory. Additionally,multiple computing devices may be connected, wherein each deviceprovides portions of the necessary operations.

A mobile computing device 350 may include a processor 220, memory 304 aperipheral device 270 (such as a display 316, a communication interface280, and a transceiver 368, among other components). A mobile computingdevice 350 may also be provided with a storage device 250, such as amicro-drive or other previously mentioned storage device 250, to provideadditional storage. Preferably, each of the components of the mobilecomputing device 350 are interconnected using a bus 210, which may allowseveral of the components of the mobile computing device 350 to bemounted on a common motherboard as depicted in FIG. 3 or in othermanners as appropriate. In some implementations, a computer program maybe tangibly embodied in an information carrier. The computer program maycontain instructions that, when executed by the processor 220, performone or more methods, such as those described herein. The informationcarrier is preferably a computer-readable medium, such as memory,expansion memory 374, or memory 304 on the processor 220 such as ROM240, that may be received via the transceiver or external interface 362.The mobile computing device 350 may be implemented in a number ofdifferent forms, as shown in FIG. 3. For example, a mobile computingdevice 350 may be implemented as a cellular telephone, part of a smartphone, personal digital assistant, or other similar mobile device.

The processor 220 may execute instructions within the mobile computingdevice 350, including instructions stored in the memory 304 and/orstorage device 250. The processor 220 may be implemented as a chipset ofchips that may include separate and multiple analog and/or digitalprocessors. The processor 220 may provide for coordination of the othercomponents of the mobile computing device 350, such as control of theuser interfaces 411, applications run by the mobile computing device350, and wireless communication by the mobile computing device 350. Theprocessor 220 of the mobile computing device 350 may communicate with auser 405 through the control interface 358 coupled to a peripheraldevice 270 and the display interface 356 coupled to a display 316. Thedisplay 316 of the mobile computing device 350 may include, but is notlimited to, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), Light Emitting Diode (LED)display, Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display, and Plasma DisplayPanel (PDP), or any combination thereof. The display interface 356 mayinclude appropriate circuitry for causing the display 316 to presentgraphical and other information to a user 405. The control interface 358may receive commands from a user 405 via a peripheral device 270 andconvert the commands into a computer readable signal for the processor220. In addition, an external interface 362 may be provided incommunication with processor 220, which may enable near areacommunication of the mobile computing device 350 with other devices. Theexternal interface 362 may provide for wired communications in someimplementations or wireless communication in other implementations. In apreferred embodiment, multiple interfaces may be used in a single mobilecomputing device 350 as is depicted in FIG. 3.

Memory 304 stores information within the mobile computing device 350.Devices that may act as memory 304 for the mobile computing device 350include, but are not limited to computer-readable media, volatilememory, and non-volatile memory. Expansion memory 374 may also beprovided and connected to the mobile computing device 350 through anexpansion interface 372, which may include a Single In-Line MemoryModule (SIM) card interface or micro secure digital (Micro-SD) cardinterface. Expansion memory 374 may include, but is not limited to,various types of flash memory and non-volatile random-access memory(NVRAM). Such expansion memory 374 may provide extra storage space forthe mobile computing device 350. In addition, expansion memory 374 maystore computer programs or other information that may be used by themobile computing device 350. For instance, expansion memory 374 may haveinstructions stored thereon that, when carried out by the processor 220,cause the mobile computing device 350 to perform the methods describedherein. Further, expansion memory 374 may have secure information storedthereon; therefore, expansion memory 374 may be provided as a securitymodule for a mobile computing device 350, wherein the security modulemay be programmed with instructions that permit secure use of a mobilecomputing device 350. In addition, expansion memory 374 having secureapplications and secure information stored thereon may allow a user 405to place identifying information on the expansion memory 374 via themobile computing device 350 in a non-hackable manner.

A mobile computing device 350 may communicate wirelessly through thecommunication interface 280, which may include digital signal processingcircuitry where necessary. The communication interface 280 may providefor communications under various modes or protocols, including, but notlimited to, Global System Mobile Communication (GSM), Short MessageServices (SMS), Enterprise Messaging System (EMS), Multimedia MessagingService (MIMS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time DivisionMultiple Access (TDMA), Personal Digital Cellular (PDC), Wideband CodeDivision Multiple Access (WCDMA), IMT Multi-Carrier (CDMAX 0) andGeneral Packet Radio Service (GPRS), or any combination thereof. Suchcommunication may occur, for example, through a transceiver 368.Short-range communication may occur, such as using a Bluetooth, WIFI, orother such transceiver 368. In addition, a Global Positioning System(GPS) receiver module 370 may provide additional navigation-andlocation-related wireless data to the mobile computing device 350, whichmay be used as appropriate by applications running on the mobilecomputing device 350. Alternatively, the mobile computing device 350 maycommunicate audibly using an audio codec 360, which may receive spokeninformation from a user 405 and covert the received spoken informationinto a digital form that may be processed by the processor 220. Theaudio codec 360 may likewise generate audible sound for a user 405, suchas through a speaker, e.g., in a handset of mobile computing device 350.Such sound may include sound from voice telephone calls, recorded soundsuch as voice messages, music files, etc. Sound may also include soundgenerated by applications operating on the mobile computing device 350.

The system 400 may also comprise a power supply. The power supply may beany source of power that provides the system 400 with power. In anembodiment, the power supply may be a stationary power outlet. Thesystem 400 may comprise of multiple power supplies that may providepower to the system 400 in different circumstances. For instance, thesystem 400 may be directly plugged into a stationary power outlet, whichmay provide power to the system 400 so long as it remains in one place.However, the system 400 may also be connected to a backup battery sothat the system 400 may receive power even when it is not connected to astationary power outlet or if the stationary power outlet ceases toprovide power to the computing entity 200.

FIGS. 4-9 illustrate embodiments of a system 400 and its various methodsfor creating a quality score for a cut of meat based on data measuringthe wellness of the animal. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the system 400generally comprises an animal 402 having at least one sensor 407associated therewith, a processor 220 operably connected to the at leastone sensor 407, a Quick Response (QR) device 430 operably connected tothe processor 220 and configured to read QR codes 425 of a cut of meatassociated with the animal 402, a plurality of computing entities 417(nodes) being operably connected to the processor 220 via a network 150,and a non-transitory computer-readable medium 415 having instructionsstored thereon. In one preferred embodiment, the system 400 may storevarious types of information within data blocks of a distributed ledgercreated by the plurality of computing entities 417. It is understoodthat the various method steps associated with the methods of the presentdisclosure may be carried out as operations by the system 400 shown inFIG. 4. FIG. 5 illustrates how blockchain may be used to store data ofthe system 400 within a distributed network. FIG. 6 illustratespermission levels 600 that may be utilized by the present system 400 forcontrolling access to user content 615, 635, 655 such as lifetime data440 and QR data 435. FIGS. 7-9 illustrate various methods that may becarried out by the system 400.

One preferred embodiment of the system 400 may comprise a plurality ofdatabases 115 operably connected to the processor 220. The plurality ofdatabases 115 may be configured to store lifetime data 440 and QR data435 within animal profiles 432. Lifetime data 440 may be defined as datadescribing the health of an animal 402 over its lifetime, including, butnot limited to, heart rate data 440A, respiration rate data, physicalactivity data 440B, temperature data, and blood oxygen saturation level(SPO₂) data 440C, or any combination thereof. QR data 435 may be definedas data that describes the conditions a cut of meat 420 of a particularanimal 402 have experienced since that animal 402 was processed,including, but not limited to GPS data 435A, packaging data,preservation data 435B, freezing/thawing data 435C, or any combinationthereof. In a preferred embodiment, an animal profile 432 is related toa particular animal 402, but in other embodiments, an animal profile 432may relate to multiple animals 402 possessing similar characteristics.An animal 402 is preferably associated with a particular animal profile432.

To populate the plurality of computing entities 417, the system 400 mayutilize data obtained from the at least one sensor 407 and/or the QRdevice 430. In another embodiment, the system 400 may populate theplurality of computing entities 417 using a user interface 411. In apreferred embodiment, the user interface 411 is operably connected tothe plurality of computing entities 417 in a way such that informationmay be transferred from user interface 411 to the plurality of computingentities 417, or vice versa. The plurality of computing entities 417 isconfigured to receive lifetime data 440 and/or QR data 435 andsubsequently store that data within a data block 530 of a distributedledger 500 shared between each computing entity 200 of the plurality ofcomputing entities 417. In a preferred embodiment, a data block 530 maybe obtained from the plurality of computing entities 417 by a mobilecomputing device 350 operably connected to the plurality of computingentities 417. In some instances, the mobile computing device 350 may beoperably connected to the plurality of computing entities 417 via one ormore servers interconnected between the mobile computing device 350 andplurality of computing entities 417. Ledger data may be communicatedbetween each computing entity 200 of the plurality of computing entities417 in real-time or at a slower rate.

In a preferred embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 4, the plurality ofcomputing entities 417 are preferably connected to one another via anetwork 150 to create a distributed ledger 500. The distributed ledgermay be continuously updated using consensus mechanisms and concurrencycontrol to ensure consistency of the ledger throughout the network 150.Consensus mechanisms may be defined as the procedure in which theplurality of computing entities 417 agree to the contents of thedistributed ledger 500. Consensus mechanisms may include, but are notlimited to proof of work, proof of stake, leased proof of stake,delegated proof of stake, and proof of importance. Concurrency controlrefers to the procedure used to address conflicts between ledgers withinthe distributed network. In the preferred embodiment, multi-versionconcurrency control is used.

The ledger preferably comprises data pertaining to a cut of meat 420 ofa particular animal 402. Information relating to a cut of meat 420 isbroken into groups of data called data blocks 530. As shown in FIG. 5,the system 400 may create a data block 530 for a cut of meat 420. In thepreferred embodiment, the first data block 530 created by the system foran animal 402 is a genesis data block 530A. The genesis data block 530Amay include information relating to the birth of an animal 402,including, but not limited to, genealogy of the animal 402, place ofbirth, gender, breed, etc, or any combination thereof. Alternatively,the genesis data block 530A may simply contain lifetime data 440 of ananimal 402 the first time an animal 402 was connected to the system 400using the at least one sensor 407. In yet another preferred embodiment,the genesis data block 530A may contain QR data 435 of a cut of meat 420as it is tracked from the fabrication facility to the customer. In onepreferred embodiment, the information within the genesis data block 530Ais hardcoded to the system 400 and new information may only be added toa subsequent data block 530, meaning the genesis data block 530A willalways represent the start of a particular chain of data blocks 530.

In the preferred embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 5, the system 400 maycouple lifetime data 440 and QR data 435 to a data block 530. Thecoupling of lifetime data 440 and QR data 435 to a data block 530 iscalled an operation. Each time an operation occurs, the system 400 maycreate a new data block 530B containing the information of both the datablock 530 and the lifetime data 440 or QR data 435. In one preferredembodiment, the data block 530 is encrypted in a way such that onlycertain information within the data block 530 is viewable to a user 405unless the user 405 decrypts the data block 530. In a preferredembodiment, a data block 530 is never deleted from the system 400.Instead, each data block 530 is saved within the ledger shared betweenthe plurality of computing entities 417. Each data block 530 preferablycontains a unique serial number. In one preferred embodiment, a datablock 530 is assigned a serial number generated using cryptographicmethods to assist the user interface 411 in identifying the data block530. In another preferred embodiment, each data block 530 may have atime stamp, indicating the date and time the data block 530 was created.In yet another preferred embodiment, a new data block 530B may containboth the assigned serial number and the serial number of the data block530 that the new data block 530B was generated from.

To facilitate the creation of a new data block 530B, the system 400 mayprovide the plurality of computing entities 417 with lifetime data 440or QR data 435 and a serial number associated with a particular animal402. In a preferred embodiment, a unique serial number may be associatedwith the at least one sensor attached to the animal or a QR codeassociated with a cut of meat of a particular animal 402. Using theserial number, the plurality of computing entities 417 may determine thelast known data block 530 of a chain of data blocks 530 associated withthe serial number and combine the data block with the lifetime data 440or QR data 435 to create a new data block 530B. A new unique serialnumber may then be generated for the new data block 530B. In a preferredembodiment, the serial number for a new data block 530B may be createdusing a hash protocol on the last known data block's 530 serial number.The data block 530 preferably represents a historical data pointrepresenting the quality of a cut of meat 420 in the form of asubstantially linear set of records outlining the wellness of the animal402 prior to fabrication and the processing of that animal 402 from thefabrication floor to the store. When combined with a quality score 445,the new data block 530B represents the cut of meat 420 and the mostup-to-date version of the wellness history of the live animal 402 andthe tracking information that allows the cut of meat 420 to be sourcedto the live animal 402. In one preferred embodiment, the serial numberscomprise a cryptographic key pair generated through asymmetriccryptography. In another preferred embodiment, the key pair comprises apublic key and a private key. The system 400 may use any algorithm orstandard for generating a key pair, including, but not limited to,Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm, Rivest Shamir Adlemanalgorithm, or any other key generation algorithm. In another preferredembodiment, the public key is generated using the serial number of thedata block 530 submitted by the user 405, and the private key is acryptographically generated passcode known only to the user 405 incurrent possession of the data block 530. In another preferredembodiment, the private key is created in a way such that the encryptedinformation within the data block 530 may be decrypted by the privatekey.

Once a new data block 530B is created, the plurality of computingentities 417 may determine the authenticity of the new data block 530B.A new data block 530B will only be authenticated by the plurality ofcomputing entities 417 if it is the last data block 530 in the longestchain of data blocks 530 starting from the genesis data block 530A. Theplurality of computing entities 417 may confirm the position of a datablock 530 within ledger by using the serial number, time stamp, or anyother method of identification suitable for identifying the order of adata block 530 within the ledger. In a preferred embodiment, theauthenticity of a new data block 530B is calculated as a function of thedata block 530 serial numbers, time stamps, and the keys; however, aperson skilled in the art will appreciate that other factors may be usedin determining the authenticity of a new data block 530B. Should the newdata block 530B be determined to be authentic, the plurality ofcomputing entities 417 may write the new data block 530B into theledger. In a preferred embodiment, once accepted by the plurality ofcomputing entities 417 as authentic, the new data block 530B may neverbe removed from the ledger, thus ensuring the animal 402 from which acut of meat 420 came is never in question.

At least one sensor 407 is preferably attached to an animal 402 in a waysuch that it may measure lifetime data 440 of the animal 402. In onepreferred embodiment, the at least one sensor 407 is attached to the earof the animal 402. For instance, the at least one sensor 407 may beattached to the ear of a pig in a way such that the at least one sensor407 may record heart rate and temperature data of the pig. In anotherpreferred embodiment, the at least one sensor 407 may be attached to aharness or strap worn by the animal 402. For instance, an at least onesensor 407 may be connected to a bridal or halter for a horse, whereinthe at least one sensor 407 may be situated on the bridal or halter in away that makes contact with the horse's body and measures the horse'sheart rate and geolocation. In another embodiment, the at least onesensor 407 may measure lifetime data 440 in an area in which the animalfrequents. For instance, an at least one sensor 407 may detect andtransmit the environmental conditions in which that animal 402 isliving. Environmental conditions in which the at least one sensor 407may detect include, but are not limited to, temperature, humidity,rainfall, or any combination thereof. In yet another preferredembodiment, the at least one sensor 407 may be used to measure generalbehavior of the animal 402. For instance, the at least one sensor 407may be used to determine how much time an animal 402 spends near atrough having a connecting sensor to estimate the amount of food and/orwater the animal 402 is consuming.

The at least one sensor 407 may transmit lifetime data 440 to theprocessor 220 over the animal's 402 lifetime, wherein the processor 220may transmit that data to a plurality of computing entities 417 in a waysuch that the lifetime data 440 is saved in the relevant animal profile432 in the distributed ledger 500 of the plurality of computing entities417. In a preferred embodiment, the at least one sensor 407 may have anidentifier that differentiates one animal 402 from another. Forinstance, each at least one sensor 407 may have a hard-coded serialnumber that differentiates one at least one sensor 407 from another. Theat least one sensor 407 may transmit the hard-coded serial number alongwith the lifetime data 440 to the processor 220, which may instruct theplurality of computing entities 417 as to which animal profile 432within the distributed ledger 500 that the lifetime data 440 should beadded. In another preferred embodiment, the at least one sensor 407 maygenerate a new serial number each time it is attached to an animal 402.For instance, the at least one sensor 407 that was removed from oneanimal 402 and placed on another animal 402 may generate a new serialnumber that may allow the system 400 to differentiate between animals402 that have used the same at least one sensor 407. In anotherpreferred embodiment, the system 100 may be connected to third-partysystems having lifetime data 440, wherein the system 400 may receive thelifetime data 440 from the third-party systems and populate animalprofiles 432 with the third-party lifetime data 440.

For animals 402 that are to be processed into various cuts of meat 420,the animal 402 may be transported to a processing facility once theanimal 402 has reached a size in which fabrication is desirable. The atleast one sensor 407 may continue to record lifetime data 440 untilfabrication begins. In one preferred embodiment, the at least one sensor407 may be deactivated prior to the stunning of the animal 402. Forinstance, a user 405 may remove the at least one sensor 407 from a pigprior to prior to euthanasia via the established method utilized by thefabricator. For instance, a user 405 may deactivate the at least onesensor 407 using a user interface 411 of the system 400 prior tostunning a chicken using a CO₂ gas chamber. In another preferredembodiment, the at least one sensor 407 may be deactivated afterprocessing has occurred. For instance, the at least one sensor 407 maybe removed from the ear of a pig once the head of the pig has beenremoved from the body during fabrication. For instance, the at least onesensor 407 may be removed from the foot of a chicken once the feet havebeen removed from the chicken during fabrication.

Once the at least one sensor 407 is no longer associated with an animal402, a holding tag having an animal ID may be used to identify theanimal 402. In another embodiment, a QR code 425 may also be associatedwith the animal 402 in place of the at least one sensor 407. The QR code425 is designed to instruct a QR device 430 to transmit QR data 435 tothe plurality of computing entities 417, wherein the plurality ofcomputing entities 417 places QR data 435 within an animal profile 432associated with the QR code 425. In a preferred embodiment, the QR code425 is associated with the animal 402 via the serial number of the atleast one sensor 407. Before the animal carcass is fabricated intocomponent primal cuts, there are a number of processes which need tooccur. One of these processes is scalding where the animal has beenstunned, exsanguinated and hung from a hook and rail system and immersedin high temperature water to remove surface debris and matter, includinghair, from the skin. Because the temperature of the water is so high,many forms of identification, such as adhesive backed labels containingQR codes, may be removed from the holding tag with the high temperaturewater. Therefore, in one preferred embodiment, a direct or permanentidentification imprint may be needed on the part of the holding tag thatremains with the animal through the scalding process for identificationpurposes during fabrication. Once the animal has exited the scalder andremains on hook and rail, the QR code may be reapplied to the carcassbased on matching the animal ID the at least one sensor.

As the carcass is then processed into various cuts of meat 420 on afabrication floor, the QR code 425 may be easily and securely pairedwith the cuts of meat 420 so that each part of the animal 402 may betracked throughout the fabrication process. For instance, the carcass ofpig that had been previously fitted with an at least one sensor 407 maybe paired with a QR code 425 at the beginning of the fabricationprocess, wherein the QR code 425 contains data pertaining to the serialnumber of the at least one sensor 407. The pig may be tagged with the QRcode 425 in a chill room prior to going through the various stages offabrication. The carcass may then be removed from the chill room andprocessed into primal cuts which then may be further processed intosubprimal cuts that resemble products readily identifiable by consumersat the point of sale. During this process, fabricated primal cuts ofmeat may also be associated with a QR code 425 and sent down thefabrication floor line, wherein the such labeled cuts may be furtherprocessed into common subprimal products. This process may continueuntil the fabrication facility has processed the carcass into thevarious cuts of meat 420 that are further broken down at case-readyfacilities or the cuts of meat 420 sold at stores. If the cuts of meat420 are further processed at the case-ready facility or store, the cutsof meat 420 may continue to be paired with the QR code 425 to ensure thechain is never broken. In another preferred embodiment, the system 100may be connected to third-party systems having QR data 435, wherein thesystem 400 may receive the QR data 435 from the third-party systems andpopulate animal profiles 432 with the third-party lifetime data 440.

Once a cut of meat 420 is placed for sale to consumers, a user 405 mayscan the QR code 425 associated with a cut of meat 420 using theirmobile computing device 350. In a preferred embodiment, a user interface411 of the mobile computing device 350 may allow a user 405 to scan theQR code 425 of a cut of meat 420. Scanning the QR code 425 using theuser interface 411 may cause the mobile computing device 350 to querythe plurality of computing entities 417 for lifetime data 440 and QRdata 435 associated with the animal profile 432 coupled to the QR code425. Once the mobile computing device 350 receives the lifetime data 440and QR data 435, the user interface 411 may present the lifetime data440 and QR data 435 to the user 405 so that the user may ascertain thequality of the cut of meat 420. In one preferred embodiment, the userinterface 411 may also present a quality score 445 to the user via theuser interface 411. A quality score 445 may be defined as a grade thatmay indicate the quality of a cut of meat 420 based on certain criteriasuch as the health of the animal 402 from which the cut of meat 420 cameand the freshness of the cut of meat 420. As used herein, the term“freshness” may be defined as days since fabrication. The health of ananimal 402 may be gleaned from the lifetime data 440, and the freshnessof the cut of meat 420 may be gleaned from the QR data 435. However, onewith skill in the art will appreciate that other data may be used by thesystem 400 to determine the quality of a cut of meat 420. Because eachcut of meat 420 is associated with a QR code 425 paired with an animalprofile 432 throughout the entire fabrication process, there is never abreak in the chain regarding the animal 402 and the cut of meat 420.This may allow the system 400 to track the animal from farm to store andmay allow the system 400 to more accurately grade the quality of aparticular cut of meat 420.

To determine the quality score 445, lifetime data 440 and QR data 435relating to all variables measured is gathered and compiled. Based onthis data, the system 400 may generate a score that may describe thequality of the cut of meat 420. In a preferred embodiment, the qualityscore 445 is calculated by the system 400 using qualitative analysismethods. This may be performed by the system 400 by determining thestress level of an animal 402 over its lifetime using lifetime data 440.For instance, the system 400 may use heartrate data 440A, activity data440B, and blood oxygen saturation data 440C to predict the stress ananimal 402 experienced throughout its lifetime. For instance, the system400 may use geolocation data or activity data 440B to predict how muchexercise an animal 402 received throughout a period of its lifetime orits entire lifetime. In another preferred embodiment, the system 400 maycalculate the quality score 445 using a quantitative data analysis. Forinstance, the quality score 445 may comprise a plurality of categoriesthat grade the quality of the meat based on different criteria. In onepreferred embodiment, the quality score 445 may consist of a healthcategory, defining the health of the animal 402 from which the cut ofmeat 420 came, and a freshness category, defining the freshness of thecut of meat 420. These categories may be further broken down into subcategories. For instance, the health category may be further broken downinto heart rate, disease, vaccinated, castrated, age, gender, feed(organic or genetically modified), and antibiotics sub categories. Forinstance, the freshness category may be further broken down into storagetemperature, days since processing, and distance traveled subcategories. In some embodiment, the sub categories may be further brokendown into additional sub categories. In one preferred embodiment, thesystem 400 may score each category and/or sub category and add thecategories and/or subcategories together to calculate a quality score445.

To determine a quality score 445 using a quantitative method, the system400 may grade lifetime data 440 and QR data 435 of an animal profile 432using defined limits. In one preferred embodiment, the system 400 maycompare the lifetime data 440 and QR data 435 to a scoring limit,wherein a scoring limit places a defined value on a category if the datawithin that category falls within a defined range. For instance, a cutof meat 420 may receive one point towards its quality score 445 in a“days since processing” category if the animal 402 from which the cut ofmeat 420 came was processed between one to three days prior to theconsumer scanning the meat with their mobile computing device 350. Forinstance, if an animal 402 was transported a great distance and notgiven a proper amount of time to destress during lairage beforeundergoing fabrication, a cut of meat 420 may receive zero pointstowards its quality score 445 since the failure to allow the animal 402to destress likely altered the endocrinology and metabolism of theanimal 402 in ways that detrimentally impacted the quality of the cut ofmeat 420. For instance, a cut of meat 420 may receive zero pointstowards its quality score 445 in an “antibiotics” category if the animal402 from which the cut of meat 420 came were given any antibiotics whilebeing raised. The system 400 may also use the lifetime data 440 and QRdata 435 to provide the user 405 with predictive information about a cutof meat 420. For instance, the system 400 may predict that it would bemore conducive to cook a cut of meat 420 using a particular preparationmethod, such as frying or broiling, based on the breed of the animal402. For instance, the system 400 may provide the user 405 with dataindicating how the quality of a cut of meat 420 may degrade or improveover time. In a preferred embodiment, the user interface 411 may presentpredictive information to a user 405 when a user 405 scans the QR code425 with a mobile computing device 350. This may be useful torestaurants in that a patron of the restaurant may scan a barcodeassociated with a cut of meat that may be featured in a certain dish. Inthis way, the patron may learn more about the ingredients within thedishes they are considering purchasing.

As mentioned previously, the system 400 may further comprise a userinterface 411. Additional lifetime data may be added to an animalprofile via the user interface. For instance, lifetime data regardinggenealogy, gender, date of birth, and weight may be input into an animalprofile via the user interface. A user interface 411 may be defined as aspace where interactions between a user 405 and the system 400 may takeplace. In an embodiment, the interactions may take place in a way suchthat a user 405 may control the operations of the system 400. A userinterface 411 may include, but is not limited to operating systems,command line user interfaces, conversational interfaces, web-based userinterfaces, zooming user interfaces, touch screens, task-based userinterfaces, touch user interfaces, text-based user interfaces,intelligent user interfaces, and graphical user interfaces, or anycombination thereof. The system 400 may present data of the userinterface 411 to the user 405 via a display 316 operably connected tothe processor 220. A display 316 may be defined as an output device thatcommunicates data that may include, but is not limited to, visual,auditory, cutaneous, kinesthetic, olfactory, and gustatory, or anycombination thereof.

Information presented via a display 316 may be referred to as a softcopy of the information because the information exists electronicallyand is presented for a temporary period of time. Information stored onthe non-transitory computer-readable medium 415 may be referred to asthe hard copy of the information. For instance, a display 316 maypresent a soft copy of visual information via a liquid crystal display(LCD), wherein the hardcopy of the visual information is stored on alocal hard drive. For instance, a display 316 may present a soft copy ofaudio information via a speaker, wherein the hard copy of the audioinformation is stored on a flash drive. For instance, a display 316 maypresent a soft copy of tactile information via a LCD monitor, whereinthe hard copy of the tactile information is stored within a database115. Displays 316 may include, but are not limited to, cathode ray tubemonitors, LCD monitors, light emitting diode (LED) monitors, gas plasmamonitors, screen readers, speech synthesizers, virtual reality headsets,speakers, and scent generating devices, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments of the system 400, the user interface 411 of themobile computing device 350 may calculate the quality score 445. Forinstance, once the mobile computing device 350 has received the lifetimedata 440 and QR data 435 from the plurality of computing entities 417,the mobile computing device 350 may perform a qualitative analysis orquantitative analysis on the data to calculate a quality score 445. Inone preferred embodiment, a user 405 may create their own grading systemby creating custom scoring limits within the user interface 411 of themobile computing device 350. For instance, a user 405 may determine thatmore points should be awarded for genealogy and breed that for stresslevel of a pig. For instance, a user 405 may determine that a cut ofmeat 420 processed one to two days prior to purchase should receive thehighest possible score in a freshness category instead of a cut of meat420 processed one to three days prior to purchase. In this way, users405 may customize the system 400 in a way such that they may find cutsof meat 420 more tailored to their personal preferences.

To prevent un-authorized user 405 from accessing other user's 405information, the system 400 may employ a security method. As illustratedin FIG. 6, the security method of the system 400 may comprise aplurality of permission levels 600 that may grant users 405 access touser content 615, 635, 655 within the database 115 while simultaneouslydenying users 405 without appropriate permission levels 600 the abilityto view user content 615, 635, 655. To access the user content 615, 635,655 stored within the database 115, users 405 may be required to make arequest via a user interface 411. Access to the data within the database115 may be granted or denied by the processor 220 based on verificationof a requesting user's 605, 625, 645 permission level 600. If therequesting user's 605, 625, 645 permission level 600 is sufficient, theprocessor 220 may provide the requesting user 605, 625, 645 access touser content 615, 635, 655 stored within the database 115. Conversely,if the requesting user's 605, 625, 645 permission level 600 isinsufficient, the processor 220 may deny the requesting user 605, 625,645 access to user content 615, 635, 655 stored within the database 115.In an embodiment, permission levels 600 may be based on user roles 610,630, 650 and administrator roles 670, as illustrated in FIG. 6. Userroles 610, 630, 650 allow requesting users 605, 625, 645 to access usercontent 615, 635, 655 that a user 405 has uploaded and/or otherwiseobtained through use of the system 400. Administrator roles 670 allowadministrators 665 to access system 400 wide data.

In an embodiment, user roles 610, 630, 650 may be assigned to a user ina way such that a requesting user 605, 625, 645 may view animal profiles432 containing lifetime data 440 and QR data 435 via a user interface411. To access the data within the database 115, a user 405 may make auser request via the user interface 411 to the processor 220. In anembodiment, the processor 220 may grant or deny the request based on thepermission level 600 associated with the requesting user 605, 625, 645.Only users having appropriate user roles 610, 630, 650 or administratorroles 670 may access the data within the animal profiles 432. Forinstance, as illustrated in FIG. 6, requesting user 1 605 has permissionto view user 1 content 615 and user 2 content 635 whereas requestinguser 2 625 only has permission to view user 2 content 635.Alternatively, user content 615, 635, 655 may be restricted in a waysuch that a user may only view a limited amount of user content 615,635, 655. For instance, requesting user 3 645 may be granted apermission level 600 that only allows them to view user 3 content 655related to their specific financial institution but not user 3 content655 related to other financial institutions. In the example illustratedin FIG. 6, an administrator 665 may bestow a new permission level 600 onusers so that it may grant them greater permissions or lesserpermissions. For instance, an administrator 665 may bestow a greaterpermission level 600 on other users so that they may view user 3'scontent 655 and/or any other user's content 615, 635, 655. Therefore,the permission levels 600 of the system 400 may be assigned to users 405in various ways without departing from the inventive subject matterdescribed herein.

In an embodiment, a user 405 may create a user profile and save variouscuts of meat 420 to their user profile using the user interface 411 oftheir mobile computing device 350. In an embodiment, user profiles maybe saved to the distributed ledger of the plurality of computingentities 417 in the same way animal profiles 432 are saved to theplurality of computing entities 417. Whenever a user 405 saves a cut ofmeat to their user profile, the system 400 may create a genesis blockfor that cut of meat 420 and save it within the user's 405 user profile.Alternatively, user profiles may be saved in a standard database 115separate from the distributed ledger. In another preferred embodiment,the system 400 may link user profiles having a particular cut of meat420 saved therein to the animal profile 432 associated with thatparticular cut of meat 420. This may allow the system 400 to trace thelocations of various cuts of meat after they have been sold tocustomers. In yet another embodiment, the system 400 may be used toalert users 405 if there has been a recall for a particular cut of meat420 due to health risks such as E. coli or salmonella. For instance,should a particular cut of meat 420 be suspected of being contaminated,the system 400 may have a function that allows a user 405 to flag aparticular animal profile 432 as “recalled.” If a user 405 has aparticular cut of meat 420 saved within their user profile that isassociated with an animal profile 432 that has been flagged as“recalled,” the system 400 may alert the user 405 that the particularcut of meat 420 is suspected of being contaminated.

FIG. 7 provides a flow chart 700 illustrating certain, preferred methodsteps that may be used to carry out the method of adding lifetime data440 to an animal profile 432. Step 705 indicates the beginning of themethod. During step 710 the processor 220 may receive lifetime data 440of the animal 402 as well as the serial number of the at least onesensor 407 from the at least one sensor 407. The processor 220 may thenperform a query to determine if the serial number of the at least onesensor 407 is associated with an animal profile 432 or not during step715. The processor 220 may perform an action based on the results of thequery during step 720. If the processor 220 determines that no animalprofile 432 is associated with the serial number, the processor 220 maycreate a new animal profile 432 during step 725. In a preferredembodiment, the animal profile 432 is saved within a distributed ledgerof the plurality of computing entities 417. Once the animal profile hasbeen created, the processor 220 the processor 220 may generate a uniqueserial number based on the lifetime data 440 provided by the at leastone sensor 407 during step 730. Once the serial number is generated, theprocessor 220 may transfer the serial number to the animal profile 432during step 735. In the preferred embodiment, the serial number is acryptographically generated public key. During step 740, a genesis datablock 530A may be created by the system 400 using the lifetime data 440and the serial number. The system 400 may then save the genesis datablock 530A to the animal profile 432 during step 745. Once the genesisdata block 530A has been saved to the animal profile 432, the method mayproceed to the terminate method step 770.

If the processor 220 determines that an animal profile 432 is associatedwith the serial number, the processor 220 may generate a unique serialnumber for a new data block 530B during step 750. In a preferredembodiment, the unique serial number is based on the public key of thelast data block 530 in the oldest chain of data blocks 530. In anotherpreferred embodiment, a hash protocol may be used to generate a new keyfrom the public key of the he last data block 530 in the oldest chain ofdata blocks 530. Once a unique serial number has been generated, theprocessor 220 may transfer the new serial number to the animal profileduring step 755. The processor may then generate the new data blockduring step 760 using the last data block 530 in the oldest chain ofdata blocks 530, the lifetime data 440, and the new serial number. Theprocessor 220 may then save the new data block 530B to the animalprofile during step 765. Once the new data block 530B has been createdand saved to the animal profile 432, the method may proceed to theterminate method step 770.

In one preferred embodiment, a user interface 411 of the system 100 mayprompt a user 405 to input certain lifetime data 440 before the genesisdata block 530A may be created. In another embodiment, a user 405 mayselect within the user interface 411 to create a genesis data block 530Afor an animal profile 432. The user interface 411 may then prompt theuser 405 to provide various lifetime data 440, including, but notlimited to, genealogy of the animal 402, place of birth, gender, breed,or any other information relevant to the health of an animal 402. Theuser 405 may then associate an at least one sensor 407 attached to theanimal 402 with the genesis data block 530 of the animal profile 432.When creating a genesis data block 530A, certain fields of informationmay be required. If these fields are not provided by a user 405, thesystem 400 may not proceed to create the genesis data block 530.Accordingly, in one preferred embodiment, the method of the presentdisclosure may further comprise a missing field step. During the missingfield step, the processor 220 may review the lifetime data 440 providedby the user 405 to assess whether all required fields have beeninputted. If all required fields have been inputted, the system 400 maysubsequently proceed to the generate a genesis data block 530 and saveit to the animal profile 432. If a user 405 fails to provide one or morerequired fields, the user interface 411 may prompt the user 405 to inputthe missing fields of lifetime data 440. Required lifetime data 440fields may include, but are not limited to, genealogy of the animal,place of birth, gender, breed, or a combination thereof.

In another preferred embodiment, the processor 415 may create both a newpublic key and a new private key. The user interface 411 may receive anew private key from the processor 415 and securely send it to the user405. In another preferred embodiment, the data within the new data block430B may be encrypted in a way such that certain data of the new datablock 430B is only viewable if a user 405 also has the new private key.The new private key is preferably created in a way such that theencrypted information within the new data block 430B may be decrypted bythe new private key. In one preferred embodiment, the processor 220 maycreate both a public key and a private key. The user interface 411 mayreceive a private key from the processor 220 and securely send it to theuser 405. This may allow animal suppliers to securely access datarelated with their livestock. In another preferred embodiment, the datawithin the genesis data block 530A may be encrypted in a way such thatcertain data of the genesis data block 530A is only viewable if a user405 also has a private key. The private key is preferably created in away such that the encrypted information within the genesis data block530A may be decrypted by the private key.

FIG. 8 provides a flow chart 800 illustrating certain, preferred methodsteps that may be used to carry out the method of creating and adding adata block 530 having QR data 435 to an animal profile 432. Step 805indicates the beginning of the method. During step 810 processor 220 mayreceive QR data 435 from the QR device 430. The processor 220 may thenpair the QR data 435 with the corresponding animal profile 432 in step815. Once the QR data has been paired with the correct animal profilebased on the information within the QR code, the processor 220 maygenerate a unique serial number for a new data block 530B during step820. In a preferred embodiment, the unique serial number is based on thepublic key of the last data block 530 in the oldest chain of data blocks530. In another preferred embodiment, a hash protocol may be used togenerate a new key from the public key of the he last data block 530 inthe oldest chain of data blocks 530. Once a unique serial number hasbeen generated, the processor 220 may transfer the new serial number tothe animal profile during step 825. The processor may then generate thenew data block during step 830 using the last data block 530 in theoldest chain of data blocks 530, the lifetime data 440, and the newserial number. The processor 220 may then save the new data block 530Bto the animal profile during step 835. Once the new data block 530B hasbeen created and saved to the animal profile 432, the method may proceedto the terminate method step 840.

FIG. 9 provides a flow chart 900 illustrating certain, preferred methodsteps that may be used to carry out the method of providing a user 405with lifetime data, QR data, and quality score data for a particularpiece of meat. Step 905 indicates the beginning of the method. Duringstep 910 the mobile computing device 350 may read a QR code 425 of aparticular cut of meat 420. The mobile computing device 350 may thensubmit a request to the plurality of computing entities 417 forinformation regarding the animal 402 from which the cut of meat 420 cameduring step 915. In a preferred embodiment, the information requestedfrom the plurality of computing entities 417 comprises lifetime data 440and QR data 435. In some embodiments, the mobile computing device 350may also request a quality score 445. The mobile computing device 350may wait for the requested information from the plurality of computingentities 417 during step 920. Once the mobile computing device 350 hasreceived the requested information from the plurality of computingentities 417, the mobile computing device 350 may sort the data withinthe user interface 411 of the mobile computing device 350 during step925. The mobile computing device 350 may then display the requestedinformation during step 930 after it has been sorted within the userinterface 411. Once the information has been presented to the user 405via the display 316, the method may proceed to the terminate method step935.

The subject matter described herein may be embodied in systems,apparatuses, methods, and/or articles depending on the desiredconfiguration. In particular, various implementations of the subjectmatter described herein may be realized in digital electronic circuitry,integrated circuitry, specially designed application specific integratedcircuits (ASICs), computer hardware, firmware, software, and/orcombinations thereof. These various implementations may includeimplementation in one or more computer programs that may be executableand/or interpretable on a programmable system including at least oneprogrammable processor, which may be special or general purpose, coupledto receive data and instructions from, and to transmit data andinstructions to, a storage system, and at least one peripheral device.

These computer programs, which may also be referred to as programs,software, applications, software applications, components, or code, mayinclude machine instructions for a programmable processor, and may beimplemented in a high-level procedural and/or object-orientedprogramming language, and/or in assembly machine language. As usedherein, the term “non-transitory computer-readable medium” refers to anycomputer program, product, apparatus, and/or device, such as magneticdiscs, optical disks, memory, and Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs),used to provide machine instructions and/or data to a programmableprocessor, including a non-transitory computer-readable medium thatreceives machine instructions as a computer-readable signal. The term“computer-readable signal” refers to any signal used to provide machineinstructions and/or data to a programmable processor. To provide forinteraction with a user, the subject matter described herein may beimplemented on a computer having a display device, such as a cathode raytube (CRD), liquid crystal display (LCD), light emitting display (LED)monitor for displaying information to the user and a keyboard and apointing device, such as a mouse or a trackball, by which the user mayprovide input to the computer. Displays may include, but are not limitedto, visual, auditory, cutaneous, kinesthetic, olfactory, and gustatorydisplays, or any combination thereof.

Other kinds of devices may be used to facilitate interaction with a useras well. For instance, feedback provided to the user may be any form ofsensory feedback, such as visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactilefeedback; and input from the user may be received in any form including,but not limited to, acoustic, speech, or tactile input. The subjectmatter described herein may be implemented in a computing system thatincludes a back-end component, such as a data server, or that includes amiddleware component, such as an application server, or that includes afront-end component, such as a client computer having a graphical userinterface or a Web browser through which a user may interact with thesystem described herein, or any combination of such back-end,middleware, or front-end components. The components of the system may beinterconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication, suchas a communication network. Examples of communication networks mayinclude, but are not limited to, a local area network (“LAN”), a widearea network (“WAN”), metropolitan area networks (“MAN”), and theinternet.

The implementations set forth in the foregoing description do notrepresent all implementations consistent with the subject matterdescribed herein. Instead, they are merely some examples consistent withaspects related to the described subject matter. Although a fewvariations have been described in detail above, other modifications oradditions are possible. In particular, further features and/orvariations can be provided in addition to those set forth herein. Forinstance, the implementations described above can be directed to variouscombinations and subcombinations of the disclosed features and/orcombinations and subcombinations of several further features disclosedabove. In addition, the logic flow depicted in the accompanying figuresand/or described herein do not necessarily require the particular ordershown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results. It will bereadily understood to those skilled in the art that various otherchanges in the details, devices, and arrangements of the parts andmethod stages which have been described and illustrated in order toexplain the nature of this inventive subject matter can be made withoutdeparting from the principles and scope of the inventive subject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for creating a quality score for ananimal, said system comprising: at least one sensor configured to beattached to said animal wherein said at least one sensor is configuredto detect and transmit lifetime data of said animal during a lifetime ofsaid animal a Quick Response code (QR) reader configured to read QRcodes on cuts of meat associated with said animal wherein said QR readertransmits QR data, a processor operably connected to said at least onesensor, wherein said processor receives said lifetime data from said atleast one sensor and said QR data from said QR reader, a power supply, aplurality of computing entities operably connected to said processor,wherein said plurality of computing entities receive said lifetime dataand said QR data from said processor, wherein said plurality ofcomputing entities create a distributed ledger of said lifetime data andsaid QR data using at least one data block, a non-transitorycomputer-readable medium coupled to said processor and havinginstructions stored thereon, which, when executed by said processor,cause said processor to perform operations comprising: receiving saidlifetime data transmitted by said at least one sensor, and transferringsaid lifetime data to said plurality of computing entities, receivingsaid QR data transmitted by said QR reader, and transferring said QRdata to said plurality of computing entities, creating said qualityscore based on said lifetime data and said QR data.
 2. The system ofclaim 1, further comprising additional instructions stored on saidnon-transitory computer-readable medium, which, when executed by saidprocessor, cause said processor to perform additional operationscomprising: transferring said quality score to said plurality ofcomputing entities.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein saidnon-transitory computer-readable medium stores data transmitted to andfrom said processor.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least onesensor comprises at least one of a global positioning system,temperature sensor, and heart rate monitor.
 5. The system of claim 1,further comprising a secondary computing entity operably connected to asecondary processor and said plurality of computing entities, whereinsaid secondary computing entity comprises a user interface programmed toreceive said lifetime data and said quality score.
 6. The system ofclaim 5, wherein said secondary computing entity is a mobile computingdevice.
 7. The system of claim 5, further comprising additionalinstructions stored on a secondary non- transitory computer-readablemedium, which, when executed by said secondary processor, cause saidsecondary processor to perform additional operations comprising:receiving said lifetime data from said plurality of computing entities,receiving said quality score from said plurality of computing entities,displaying said lifetime data within a display.
 8. A system for creatinga quality score for an animal, said system comprising: at least onesensor configured to be attached to said animal wherein said at leastone sensor is configured to detect and transmit lifetime data of saidanimal during a lifetime of said animal a Quick Response code (QR)reader configured to read QR codes on cuts of meat associated with saidanimal, wherein said QR code contains environmental data relevant tosaid cuts of meat, a processor operably connected to said QR reader,wherein said processor receives said QR data from said QR reader, apower supply, a plurality of computing entities operably connected tosaid processor, wherein said plurality of computing entities receivesaid QR data from said processor, wherein said plurality of computingentities create a distributed ledger of said QR data using at least onedata block, a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to saidprocessor and having instructions stored thereon, which, when executedby said processor, cause said processor to perform operationscomprising: receiving said QR data transmitted by said QR reader, andtransmitting said QR data to said plurality of computing entities,creating said quality score based on said lifetime data and said QRdata.
 9. The system of claim 8, further comprising additionalinstructions stored on said non-transitory computer-readable medium,which, when executed by said processor, cause said processor to performadditional operations comprising: transferring said quality score tosaid plurality of computing entities.
 10. The system of claim 8, whereinsaid non-transitory computer-readable medium stores data transmitted toand from said processor.
 11. The system of claim 8, further comprising asecondary computing entity operably connected to a secondary processorand said plurality of computing entities, wherein said secondarycomputing entity comprises a user interface programmed to receive saidQR data and said quality score.
 12. The system of claim 11, furthercomprising additional instructions stored on a secondary non-transitorycomputer-readable medium, which, when executed by said secondaryprocessor, cause said secondary processor to perform additionaloperations comprising: receiving said QR data from said plurality ofcomputing entities, receiving said quality score from said plurality ofcomputing entities, and displaying said QR data and said quality scorewithin a display.
 13. A system for creating a quality score for ananimal, said system comprising: at least one sensor configured to beattached to said animal wherein said at least one sensor is configuredto detect and transmit lifetime data of said animal, a Quick Responsecode (QR) reader configured to read QR codes on cuts of meat associatedwith said animal, wherein said QR reader transmits QR data, a processoroperably connected to said at least one sensor and said QR reader,wherein said processor receives said lifetime data from said at leastone sensor and said QR data from said QR reader, a power supply, aplurality of computing entities operably connected to said processor,wherein said plurality of computing entities receive said lifetime dataand said QR data from said processor, wherein said plurality ofcomputing entities create a distributed ledger of said lifetime data andsaid QR data using at least one data block wherein said plurality ofcomputing entities create said quality score based on said lifetime dataand said QR data, a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled tosaid processor and having instructions stored thereon, which, whenexecuted by said processor, cause said processor to perform operationscomprising: receiving said lifetime data transmitted by said at leastone sensor, transferring said lifetime data to said plurality ofcomputing entities, receiving said QR data transmitted by said QRreader, and transferring said QR data to said plurality of computingentities.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein said non-transitorycomputer-readable medium stores data transmitted to and from saidprocessor.
 15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a secondarycomputing entity operably connected to a secondary processor and saidplurality of computing entities, wherein said secondary computing entitycomprises a user interface programmed to receive said QR data and saidquality score.
 16. The system of claim 15, further comprising additionalinstructions stored on a secondary non- transitory computer-readablemedium, which, when executed by said secondary processor, cause saidsecondary processor to perform additional operations comprising:receiving said lifetime data from said plurality of computing entities,receiving said QR data from said plurality of computing entities,receiving said quality score from said plurality of computing entities,and displaying said lifetime data, said QR data, and said quality scorewithin a display.